Users of Social Media More Likely to Buy Online

Small business and large corporations alike now posses the ability to market themselves to millions of consumers thanks to the growing rates of adult social media users and their active tendency to consume online, more so than those who do not use social media. 

The Nielsen report released on Monday supporting these claims notes that social networks and blogs account for around a quarter of total time spent on the Internet. The report further stated that Americans now spend more time on Facebook than any other website on the Internet.

In the mobile market, Nielsen noted that more than 40% of social media users access these networks on their smartphones, while users aged 55 and over are driving the bulk of the growth.

Furthermore, an impressive 70% of adult social media users actively shop online, and around 53% follow brands on these networks as well. The Wall Street Journal’s “In Charge” blog further stated from the report that:

What’s more, these folks are also 75% more likely to be heavy spenders on music and 47% more likely to be heavy spenders clothing, shoes and accessories when compared with the average adult Internet user.

For the small business owner and entrepreneur, this means that an integrated social media experience could now not be a more important aspect of a business’ overall digital strategy. Business’ websites should not only include a blog with clear calls to action to share on social media networks, but also work actively and in tandem with social access points such as Facebook Pages, Twitter feeds, and more.

Nielsen’s data is based on an online survey of 1,865 U.S. adults conducted in March and April and combined with data from an online panel and social-media monitoring platform.  The company defines a social-media user as someone who participates, talks and networks online through various platforms to share information and resources. These include Internet forums, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking sites.